Ch. 38
Chapter 38: Seeing That Rebellious Son Is a Small Matter. If We Lose Face Because of It, That Would Be a Grave Breach of Etiquette.
Cheng Zhenjiang of the North, Great Hero Cheng?!
The moment they heard that thunderous name, all the prominent figures inside Sword-Forging Manor’s great hall rose to their feet in solemn unison.
Shock spread across their faces as they looked at one another.
Who in the Jianghu did not know the name of Great Hero Cheng of the North? Who had not heard of his feat of severing a river with one sword and slaying a great demon?
Why had one of the Jianghu’s foremost great experts come here?
“Since Great Hero Cheng and his family have come here, we absolutely must not neglect them! I’ll go welcome them first. You all make proper preparations to receive them well. Do not disgrace Sword-Forging Manor!”
“Yes!”
At the reception hall for guests at Sword-Forging Manor—
“Sect Master Cheng! For you to travel all the way here to my Sword-Forging Manor truly leaves the entire manor overwhelmed with honor!”
“This Cheng greets Manor Lord He. My family and I have come to trouble you.”
Cheng Zhenjiang cupped his fists and saluted He Qin, the Manor Lord of Sword-Forging Manor.
He had long enjoyed a reputation in the Jianghu for treating others with warmth and courtesy. Even when facing He Qin, whose strength was only at the Eighth Rank and far inferior to his own, he put on no airs at all.
“No, no. For you to honor us with your presence makes Sword-Forging Manor shine all the more brightly! If you have any requests, there is no need for formality!”
With the host greeting him with a smile, Cheng Zhenjiang did not stand on ceremony either.
He explained that he had brought a generous gift and had come to seek a fine sword for his youngest son, Cheng Feng.
Holding a box containing a priceless hundred-year-old Tianshan Snow Ginseng, He Qin’s face lit up with delight.
This treasure was rich in qi and blood and dense with medicinal power. It had excellent healing effects even for severely wounded Eighth Rank martial artists.
Outside, it was something worth a thousand gold pieces and still nearly impossible to obtain.
Great Hero Cheng truly was generous!
“The Young Northern Alliance Leader has already entered the Fifth Rank and is a true favored child of heaven. A fine sword suits a heroic man. Our entire sect will naturally spare no effort! However, forging a spiritual sword is a complicated process. Great Hero Cheng, please wait half a month.”
“Very well. There is no need to rush, Manor Lord. We are in no hurry!”
Watching He Qin depart to make arrangements for the forging, Cheng Zhenjiang nodded in satisfaction.
Then he turned and instructed his sons and daughters, “Did you see that? So long as you act with courtesy and righteousness, the people of the Jianghu will open their doors to you! Cruelty and obstinacy only cut off your own path!”
“If you treat others with generosity and pay attention to your conduct, then even without a status like mine, people still will not neglect you!”
“Even without status, identity, or strength, one can still be invincible under heaven through chivalry alone! One’s circumstances are not an excuse for immorality, nor are they a shield for cowards!”
Cheng Zhenjiang taught his children with great seriousness.
Whenever he brought up a negative example, his mind naturally drifted to Cheng Yu.
He could only feel sorrow and failure that he had such a son—one who had strayed from the proper path and become ruthless and vicious.
That boy had always sneered at chivalry and the righteous path.
And yet, was not the manor lord personally receiving them and so readily agreeing precisely because of the reputation Cheng Zhenjiang had earned by practicing chivalry and righteousness?
Cheng Yue and Cheng Feng immediately nodded and said they had learned their lesson.
Then his gaze shifted toward his youngest daughter, Cheng Si.
Si’er had already been influenced too much by that rebellious son. She needed proper instruction!
“What do you say, Si’er?”
“Mhm...”
Cheng Si answered reluctantly.
She agreed that one should be polite and reasonable, but as for her father saying that chivalry alone could make one invincible under heaven—
Deep down, she could only shake her head helplessly.
If she had not just seen, when they entered the manor, someone crying for his father and mother and nearly kneeling and kowtowing for a sword only to be driven away in the end, she might really have been fooled by it.
That man had surely been more polite than them. He had even knelt down.
So why had he still been driven away?
In the end, was it not simply because he lacked status and strength?
After visiting the host, Cheng Zhenjiang’s family temporarily moved into the elegant and luxurious residence provided by Sword-Forging Manor.
They would remain here for half a month, waiting for Cheng Feng’s sword to be completed.
After they had settled in, Cheng Si went to find her mother Zhao Xichun with a face full of anticipation and said coquettishly, “Mother~ since forging the sword will take so long anyway, why don’t we just go see Second Brother? What do you think?”
At the mention of her eldest son, a light flashed through Zhao Xichun’s eyes.
To see the flesh and blood she had borne herself, who had suffered so much outside, was the best way for this mother to ease the ache in her heart.
Now that mother and son were both in Jiangnan and separated by less than a hundred li, it would truly be a pity not to meet even once.
She had just been about to nod in agreement when Cheng Zhenjiang’s steady voice rang out firmly from the side.
“No! I already said I would not take the initiative to look for that rebellious son, and none of you may do so either!”
His parents had come to Jiangnan, yet as a son, he did not come of his own accord to pay his respects and instead expected his parents to go find him.
What kind of conduct was that?
If word got out, the Jianghu would mock the Cheng Family for lacking filial piety and moral sense!
What was more, Cheng Zhenjiang still had not forgiven that rebellious son for severing ties and for the unfilial act of concealing his strength.
At this, Cheng Si’s little face fell. She wanted to argue, but she lacked the strength even to open her mouth.
Because she already knew it would be useless.
So she could only force out a smile, run to Cheng Zhenjiang’s side, and tug at his clothes.
“Father, we’re just going to take a look at Second Brother, so that you and Mother can ease the pain of missing him. If we simply don’t let him discover us, won’t that solve everything?”
“In that case, the people of the Jianghu would surely sympathize with the hearts of parents and wouldn’t say anything.”
“And besides, Second Brother doesn’t even know that all of us have come to Jiangnan, so how would he know to come and pay his respects to you on his own?”
Cheng Si stopped directly challenging some of Cheng Zhenjiang’s ideas and instead tried to persuade him gently.
So long as there was even the slightest chance, she hoped the whole family could reconcile.
Hearing that, Cheng Zhenjiang wavered a little.
No matter what, Cheng Yu was still his flesh and blood. That was a fact that could not be changed.
No matter how much dissatisfaction he held in his heart, the moment he thought of Cheng Yu’s experiences over the past ten-odd years, Cheng Zhenjiang’s heart was still full of guilt and pain.
“Then perhaps...”
But just then, Cheng Feng walked in from outside. “Father, Manor Lord He asks that you come discuss the sword forging. They intend to custom-forge a High-Grade Human Rank weapon specifically for me.”
“A High-Grade Human Rank weapon? Sword-Forging Manor truly is extraordinary when it comes to forging weapons. In that case, let us go!”
The moment Cheng Zhenjiang heard how seriously Sword-Forging Manor was taking Cheng Feng’s sword, he immediately nodded and stood up.
A custom-made High-Grade Human Rank weapon was something extremely rare even within the Jianghu.
That alone was enough to show Sword-Forging Manor’s sincerity.
The River-Severing Sect and the Cheng Family certainly did not lack Human Rank or even Earth Rank hidden weapons, but none of them could perfectly suit Cheng Feng.
If he could obtain a custom-made High-Grade Human Rank weapon, then with time and continued use, it might even rise to the Earth Rank in the future.
The improvement it would bring to Cheng Feng’s strength was immeasurable.
So Cheng Zhenjiang did not hesitate in the slightest and prepared to go discuss the matter at once.
“Father, what about going to see Second Brother...?”
Seeing that Cheng Zhenjiang was about to leave, Cheng Si hurriedly asked.
Hearing that, Cheng Zhenjiang became conflicted again, but in the end, he still shook his head.
“There’s no need to rush for now. Feng’er’s sword is the most important matter at present. I may need to discuss things with Manor Lord He for some time. It will not be too late to talk about that afterward.”
“Ah? Then Mother and I can go on our own, can’t we?”
“No!”
The moment he heard that suggestion, Cheng Zhenjiang shook his head and rejected it sternly.
“Your mother is soft-hearted and kind. If she sees that rebellious son, she will certainly be unable to control her emotions and will go acknowledge him. It will never be as simple as merely taking a look. If I am not there, you will not be able to stop her.”
“Seeing that rebellious son is a small matter. If we lose face because of it, that would be a grave breach of etiquette!”
“Madam, let us first go see Manor Lord He. Later, I will write a letter to Yu’er and have someone deliver it. If he truly comes to his senses, then he will naturally come in person to pay his respects to us.”
Having said that, Cheng Zhenjiang gave Cheng Si no chance to say another word before leaving the room.
When Cheng Feng heard Cheng Yu being mentioned, a trace of resentment and displeasure flashed through his eyes.
But he said gently, “Little Sister, listen to Father. That man’s matter can wait until later.”
Then he followed after Cheng Zhenjiang and left.
“You all...!”
Watching Cheng Zhenjiang hurry away, Cheng Si felt her heart grow cold to the bottom.
Her Second Brother was not even worth as much as another son’s sword!
Cheng Feng had enjoyed endless resources and careful cultivation since childhood, while Cheng Yu had struggled through hardship and risked his life again and again, yet their parents could not even manage to divide their care equally?
Did Cheng Yu deserve that much?
At the side, Zhao Xichun seemed to recall all that Cheng Yu had gone through, and she wiped at her tears.
“Si’er, let it go. I know you feel sorry for your Second Brother, but your Brother Feng’s place on the Human Ranking is the most important thing right now. Just wait a little longer.”
With that, she sighed and left.
And so, the family’s plan to go see Cheng Yu ended before it had even begun.